Meaning & use
decompress
To relax and relieve tension after a period of stress, or to release built-up pressure from something.
See it in a sentence
After finals week, she went hiking all weekend just to decompress.
Divers must ascend slowly to decompress safely and avoid serious injury.
A note on using this word
Decompress covers both the physical release of pressure, as in diving, and the informal sense of mentally relaxing after stress.
Words with a similar meaning
relaxunwind
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
tense up
Make it your own
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